If you’re interested in making cosmetic products from scratch but you don’t have fancy software to do it, you can easily make them using a simple spreadsheet formula.

Here’s a video that explains the process.  It allows you to make different batch sizes, calculates ingredient masses, and also costs out the formula.

Cosmetic Formula Template

To become a college graduate with a degree in chemistry, you probably had to take at least a year of calculus and some type of statistical analysis. Then classes like Physical Chemistry or Inorganic Chemistry further demonstrated the complicated math that was required to be a scientist. Who remembers partial differential equations?

Well, if the math in your college chemistry classes wore you down, then we’ve got good news for you. Cosmetic chemists use almost no complicated math. In fact, all the math you need to know to be a cosmetic formulator, you likely learned in high school. Here are the top mathematical challenges faced by cosmetic chemists and how to do them.

Cosmetic Chemist mathematical challenges

1. Figuring out % activity of an ingredient
This is one of the most common problems you’ll face. Most liquid raw material are not supplied as 100% ingredients but instead are water solutions (or other diluent). So, if you buy SLS it is usually sold as a 28% solution. You can find the activity of an ingredient by looking at the specification sheet. Usually, it is listed as % solids.

If you have a formula that calls for 30% SLS, the product doesn’t actually contain 30% SLS. It contains 30% of a 28% solution. By multiplying the % solids by the % required in the formula, you can find the % activity. Therefore, a formula calling for 30% SLS only contains 8.4% SLS. For formulators, this is the most important mathematical concept you must learn.

Math skill required – Multiplication

2. Adding up formulas
When creating formulas, you have to make sure everything adds up to 100%. Fortunately, this is fairly simple.

To make sure the formula adds up to 100%, you just need to add the percentages of all the ingredients in the formula. If they are higher or lower than 100, just add or subtract from the main diluent (usually water) to make it equal to 100. For example.

Water 78%
HEC 1%
Citric acid 1%
Cetyl Alcohol 5%
Cetrimonium Chloride 2%
Preservative 0.2%
Fragrance 1%

This conditioner formula adds up to 88.2%. You subtract that from 100 and you are left with 11.8%. This is the amount that should be added to your water % to make the formula square. So, the amount of water in this formula should be 89.8%

Math required – Addition and subtraction

3. Figuring out required ingredient amount
Frequently, you’ll inherit a formula and will have to figure out the amount of raw materials required to make a certain sized batch. This just requires simple multiplication.

First, determine the size batch you want to make. Next, find the % of the ingredient in the formula. Multiply the two numbers and your result is the required amount of the ingredient. For example.

Suppose you want to make a 500g batch of the conditioner in the example above. It calls for 2% of Cetrimonium Chloride. To figure out how much CC you’ll need, just multiply 500g * .02 = 10g. After you’ve figured out all the raw materials, add up the gram totals to ensure they equal the batch size.

Math required – Multiplication and addition

4. Figuring out HLB
When you’re formulating emulsions, HLB can help you figure out which emulsifier you need for your oil phase. Go see this previous post to see how to do cosmetic HLB calculations.

5. Converting units
It’s a fact of life in the US that industry continues to use Pounds and Gallons rather than Kilograms and Liters. In the lab, everything you do will likely be measured using the metric system. But when you take your formula to the compounding area, you’ll have to convert them to English units.

To convert your formulas, you just need to convert Kilograms to Pounds. This is done simply by multiplying the Kilogram mass by the conversion factor (1 kg = 2.2046 pounds). So, if your formula calls for 25 kg of Cetyl Alcohol, you’ll need to add 51.15 pounds of it.

For liquid measurements, it’s usually necessary to figure out how many gallons of an ingredient you need. If the specific gravity of the liquid is 1 (as it is for water) then you simply take the Kilograms required and divide by the conversion factor (8.35 Kg per gallon). So, 44 kilograms of water is really 5.27 gallons.

Perhaps the easiest way to do these conversions is to look them up on Google or use a conversion calculator like this one.

The Mathematical Cosmetic Chemist

Once you have systems set up to do these calculations for you (like automated spreadsheets), there is even less math required to be a cosmetic chemist. But math is good for your brain so even if you have a computer that calculates these things for you, you should practice them to ensure you know how to do them.

The last thing to mention is statistics. There is some statistical math that you’ll have to do on occasion but it’s more complicated than this post can allow so we’ll write a separate entry on the statistics of cosmetic science.

Chemists Corner is dedicated to teaching you about the field of cosmetic science and how to become a cosmetic chemist. We’ve enjoyed writing blogs, discussing topics with you through the comments and doing the podcast.

Advanced Cosmetic Science Training

One of the most common questions we’re asked is whether there is some training program that people can take to help them become cosmetic scientists. For people who are looking for an advanced degree in cosmetic science, we’ve encouraged them to look into university sponsored programs like the University of Cincinnati or the Fairleigh Dickinson Program. These are excellent programs and if you can afford the time & money to attend, you should do it.

And if you are looking for additional training in specific areas of cosmetic science, you should certainly participate in some the many fine SCC continuing education programs.

Online Cosmetic Science

However, these programs are not suitable for everyone as they involve travel, years of commitment and a significant amount of money. They also cover much more material than is practically required to get started as a cosmetic chemist.

For people in this situation, we’ve created a training program called the Complete Cosmetic Chemist. It is an online course that goes over the fundamentals of cosmetic formulation. It is beginning soon and if you are interested, take a look at the course syllabus and sign up.

Complete Cosmetic Chemist syllabus

This promises to be a great program and we look forward to working with you.

If you want to be a cosmetic chemist and make cosmetic products, there is certain essential equipment that you’ll need to get.

Here is a list of the basic equipment for setting up a cosmetic lab.

Basic cosmetic Lab equipment

1. Weighing equipment. To make proper measurements of the raw materials, you’ll need a good balance. Be sure to get one that can measure up to at least 500g.

Other weighing equipment that helps includes disposable pipettes (for measuring liquids) and weigh boats (for measuring solids).

2. Containers. The most common container you’ll use to make a cosmetic formula is a beaker. You’ll need a variety of sizes because you’ll be making different sized batches. Be sure to have a number of 500mL, 800mL, 1000mL, 1500ml and 2000mL beakers. You really want 400g to be the minimum size batch you make.

3. Mixers. In college, you most frequently used a magnetic stirrer to mix your creations. These are rarely used in a cosmetic lab. For mixing, you’ll want an industrial type mixer, something like the Lightnin mixer. It is like a single blade hand mixer with a variable speed control. Quite handy.

4. Controlling Temperature. Most cosmetic formulas require heating and cooling so a good hot plate is a must.

Sometimes you can air cool batches but for things like emulsions, you’ll want to have a water bath for cooling it down quickly. This could simply be a tub you fill with cold water and ice.

5. Testing equipment. After you’ve finished a cosmetic formulation, you’ll need to test it to ensure that it meets specifications. For this, you’ll want to have a pH meter and a viscometer (for measuring rheology).

Of course no cosmetic lab would be complete without a good stock of cosmetic raw materials. Which of these you have will depend on the type of formulas you make. Everyone will want to have a supply of deionized water. Most will also want to have a stock of common preservatives, acids, bases, and dye solutions.

Fortunately, if you work for a company they’ll have this stuff for you. They’ll also have more specific equipment for the types of formulas you’ll mostly be working on. However, if you are setting up your own lab or helping your company get into the field of cosmetic science, be sure to stock your lab with the proper equipment.

What equipment do you use for cosmetic formulations? Leave your comment below.

As a cosmetic chemist, you will be often visited by chemical sales people and presented “new” raw materials to put in your formulas. Or you may be asked by your marketing people about ingredients and which cosmetic ingredients are better than others. Unfortunately, it’s not an easy question to answer. Read on to see why.

What are better cosmetic ingredients?

Although this might sound like a simple question, it really isn’t. That’s because the answer is highly dependent on what you mean by the phrase “better than.” And this is true of ANY raw material or beauty product for which you might have this question.

What makes one cosmetic ingredient better than another?

It all depends on which of the following factors are most important to you.

Ingredient Performance

This is related to how well a product does what it says it will do and how it compares to what you are already using. If a new emulsifier makes makes the product more stable then from a performance standpoint, it is better. If a surfactant improves your foam, or a moisturizing agent improves moisture scores, then these ingredients are better. The nice thing about a performance standard is that you can run a test, make a measurement and determine which is better.

Unfortunately, there are other less obvious factors to consider when figuring out which is the “better” cosmetic ingredient.

Price

Another important characteristic in determining whether something is better is price. The assumption is that if one product performs the same as another product but is less expensive, then it is better.

Of course, this is simplistic and the list price of a raw material doesn’t take into consideration other factors that can affect the cost impact to your company. For example, your purchasing department might have a contract with a supplier where you get price breaks based on volumes. If you change to a cheaper ingredient, this could raise the price of other ingredients.

But sometimes the performance doesn’t have to match exactly either. If you can get away with using a less expensive ingredient and still have most of the performance, sometimes it’s worth it.

Production Desires

While there are some ingredients that are easy enough to work with in the lab, they can often be nearly impossible to work with in production. I’m thinking of things like powders and highly viscous ingredients. When formulating and thinking about what is the “best” cosmetic raw material, consider also what your production people will think is the best. Generally, if it’s easier to work with in production, it’s a better ingredient.

Personal preference

I have to admit that there were ingredients that I liked working with. Often this was because I had success with the ingredient in the past. Or maybe I just liked to have a “signature” ingredient in all my formulas. Some cosmetic chemists just prefer to avoid using single sourced ingredients or animal derived products or other arbitrary choices. If you as the formulator think one ingredient is better than another, often that means the ingredient is better. Of course, your boss might make you have a different opinion.

Marketing concerns

Sometimes your marketing department will have an opinion about what is a better ingredient. If your group is hung up on the green movement, they’ll think that vegetable derived is better than petroleum products. They’ll think natural preservatives are better than parabens. They’ll also push for free-trade ingredients, biodegradable, low carbon footprint, etc. If you’re looking for a better ingredient, think about what your marketing group would say.

Better cosmetic ingredients

So how do you figure out which cosmetic ingredients are the best to use? The following checklist can help you figure it out.
1. First, have a standard test to compare performance
2. Consider the overall cost impact of the ingredient
3. Consider the impact on production
4. Figure out what your marketing people would say
5. Decide what you like

Cosmetic formulating is a creative endeavor. Remember, you are the artist and should always have the final say on what you think is the “better” technology.

In the United States (and most other places around the world), beauty product manufacturers are required to list the ingredients used to make their products in a specific way. The current guidelines can be found on the FDA website here – FDA Cosmetic Labeling.

Since it isn’t a terribly interesting read, we’ll try to summarize the key points here. We’ll also explain to you how ingredient listings can be useful to cosmetic formulators.

Cosmetic Ingredient names

We previously wrote about how cosmetic ingredients get their names so go read that for more details. Basically, the names come from the INCI Dictionary. These are the names that are supposed to be used by everyone although some manufacturers might take liberty with their labels and include inappropriate terms (e.g. ‘purified’ water)

Order of listing

In this post on how to label cosmetics, we gave an explanation of the rules in which ingredients are supposed to be listed. Essentially, things in concentration above 1% are supposed to be listed in order of concentration and things at 1% or lower can be listed in any order. Colors are supposed to be listed at the end.

Where to find cosmetic ingredient names

When you are working with a raw material, the supplier will have the INCI name listed in the specification sheet. Often, raw materials are made up of multiple compounds so there will be a listing of multiple INCI names. To create the correct ingredient list, you have to know the % of each compound in the raw material. This can get complicated and we’ll save the topic for another time.

Sometimes the INCI names are pending (if it’s a new material) but you should generally avoid working with raw materials that don’t already have an INCI designation.

If you are searching for a raw material, a nice, free way to find them is via the INCI directory. This excellent resource was created by Specialchem4cosmetics.com and is really helpful.

Where to find ingredient lists

Now that you know how to decipher raw material lists, you need to get some so you can start using them. Of course, an obvious place to get ingredient lists is to go to the store and get products. They should be listed there right on the back of any personal care and cosmetic product.

But going to the store can be inconvenient and you can often get ingredient lists just by searching the Internet. Two excellent sources of cosmetic ingredient lists is Drugstore.com and Ulta.com. The best thing about these sources is that they also include the cosmetic claims which can also be helpful.

How to use ingredient lists

Alright, now you have an ingredient list and understand what it means, you might be wondering, so what? Good question.

Here are a few things that I’ve used ingredient lists for as a cosmetic chemist.

1. For copying competitor’s formulas – Copying (or knocking off) a competitive formula is a great exercise for any new cosmetic chemist. It gives you a great sense of what the raw materials do, which ones are important, and how they affect different performance characteristics. There is no better teacher than going through the trial and error process of copying a formula from an ingredient list.

Remember to use the few clues that you have. For example, identify the probable 1% line, do a % solids test to figure out how much water is in the formula, and take pH and viscosity readings to figure out your targets. Then make some prototypes and see how close you can get.

2. For new product ideas – Marketers are always looking for new ingredients so whenever you come upon a novel ingredient, write it down, learn about it and pitch it at the next new product meeting if you wish.

3. To learn new ingredients – Whenever you see an ingredient you don’t know, take the time to look it up. Figure out why it might be in the formula. This way you can use ingredient lists as a way to help build your cosmetic science vocabulary. When you were learning to read they told you whenever you read a word you didn’t know the meaning of you should look it up in the dictionary. Well, whenever you see a raw material you don’t know, look it up in the INCI dictionary.

Have you found useful ways to use ingredient listings? Leave a comment below and let everyone know.

One of my favorite times when training new cosmetic chemists is the moment they learn that many of the ingredients cosmetic companies put in their formulas are added for reasons other than their direct function. The look of puzzled enlightenment when they realize that the beauty product marketing they’ve accepted thus far is exaggeration is…well…priceless.

Perhaps by the end of this post, you might experience that look too.

What are puffery cosmetic ingredients?

In the cosmetic science business, non-functional ingredients that are added to your formula to support marketing stories have a variety of names; puffery ingredients, featured ingredients, woofle dust, and pixie dust have all been used to describe these ingredients. They usually have some of the following features.

1. They sound impressive
2. They provide a story that consumers find compelling
3. The are trendy and probably featured in a magazine article
4. They are endorsed by some “expert”
5. They are expensive
6. They are used at low levels

Basically, these ingredients are added to help convince consumers that their beauty product is special and will provide miraculous results.

Which of these sounds more compelling to you?

“Our product combines a blend of naturally charged biominerals with powerful botanical ingredients to create an exclusive anti-aging technology”

Or

“Our product combines petrolatum with cetyl alcohol to create an exclusive anti-aging technology”

Obviously, the first one. But the truth is, the functional claims of this product are provided by ingredients like petrolatum, mineral oil and cetyl alcohol. They just don’t sound as good.

Examples of puffery ingredients

There are a wide variety of cosmetic ingredients that are added as puffery ingredients but they roughly fall under one of the following types.

Vitamins – Everyone knows that vitamins are good for your diet and you need them to live, but consumers also have the erroneous belief that if something is good to eat, then it’s good to put on your skin & hair. The truth is there is very little evidence that topically applying most vitamins to your skin will have any effect. (Vitamins A & C are exceptions and can have an effect if properly formulated). There is no evidence that vitamins in your hair care products will have much effect. Some claim Vitamin B can increase hair strength but I’m not convinced by the available science and my own experience.

Whether they are functional or not, adding vitamins makes your cosmetic products more appealing to consumers

Proteins – These are another type of compound that consumers know about and are naturally inclined to believe they are good for them. When eaten, they are good for people. When slathered on their skin and hair, not necessarily. Proteins like collagen and elastin are added to skin creams. Silk, keratin, and other exotic hydrolyzed proteins are added to hair products. These ingredients aren’t added because of the effect they have (they don’t do much). They are added because consumers and marketers like the stories they convey.

Natural ingredients – Some beauty product companies are so enamored with natural ingredients, they add dozens and dozens which make their ingredient statements look like novellas. These include extracts from all kinds of plants from fruits, vegetable and herbs, taken from exotic places in the world like the Amazon rain forest or the mountains of Switzerland. You’ll find things like marine extracts and organically grown strawberry extract. If it’s natural and someone can squeeze some juice out of it, someone might ask you to put it in your formulas.

These ingredients rely on a belief in folklore to convince people they do something. More often than not, they are non-functional.

High tech ingredients – Sometimes marketers like to impress consumers by telling them a high tech story. To help support this story, you’ll be asked to add things like Stem Cells, Nanosomes, or ingredients with completely made-up high-tech sounding names. As with the other puffery ingredients, these high tech wonders frequently have some science to back up the story but almost never to back up their functionality delivered from a product.

Is cosmetic ingredient puffery right?

Admittedly, ingredients like this have always made me a little uneasy. It seems like trickery and worse, like lying. But the truth is, people who buy beauty products do not always want the “truth”. They don’t want to think that chemicals like Sodium Lauryl Sulfate or Petrolatum are what really makes their cosmetic products work. They would rather like to believe in the story that it’s Aloe that moisturizers their skin or it’s the Coconut Oil that gently cleanses their hair.

This is what people buy.

Whether we like it or not, as a cosmetic scientist we are in the business of creating great, functional products that people buy. If you create a brilliant formula that no one ever purchases, you’ve failed. Puffery ingredients entice people to buy products.

The ethical cosmetic chemist

Here are a couple of guidelines to use when adding pixie dust ingredients to your formulas.

1. Stay honest with yourself. Be careful not to fall for your own story. If you think the great high-tech ingredient you’re adding to your formula is really making a difference, be sure to conduct a blinded, placebo controlled study to see what effect it really has.

2. Stay honest with your marketing people. Your marketing department desperately wants a product they can tell consumers is vastly different (and superior) to the competition. They will believe the marketing of other cosmetic companies. Resist the temptation to mislead your marketing group by telling them that these puffery ingredients will actually have a significant benefit. In the vast majority of cases, they won’t.

3. Always make great products. Don’t use the stories available from puffery ingredients to cover-up some low quality formulation. It is your responsibility as a cosmetic chemist to create the best formulas you possibly can.

See this article for more on what the FDA has to say about cosmetic puffery.

What do you think, is it right to add ingredients to your formulas that you know are not adding a functional benefit? Leave a comment below.

Formulating is one of the most enjoyable aspects of being a cosmetic chemist. This is when you get to blend all the cosmetic science you’ve learned with your creative inspirations. It’s how you can make your mark as a formulation chemist.

The following 6 steps will help you take your ideas and convert them into functioning cosmetic products.

Step 1 – Define your product

Before you get started, you need to think about what you are going to make. Figure out what functions you want your product to achieve. Is it a cleansing product, a moisturizer, a coloring product, or maybe a combination of factors? Also think about the aesthetic characteristics like color, thickness, clarity, etc. and the cosmetic product form. Write these parameters down so you’ll know when you done whether you’ve been successful.

It is always helpful to have a target product with characteristics that you are trying to match. Be sure to get a sample to look at and feel.

Step 2 – Find a starting formula

Next you need to figure out a good starting formula. Starting formulas can be found from a variety of sources. You can look at some of the most useful cosmetic science books. You can also look at online formularies like the one from Happi.com or Chemidex.com. Raw material suppliers like Croda and Rhodia also have formularies that you can use. Another useful source is patents. You can use Google patents or the USPTO.gov website to find formulas. Of course, you can also talk to a colleague who may be able to share one of her starting formulas with you. Finally, if you work at a big company, they will have a big archive of old formulas that will give you a great starting basis.

Remember, starting formulas are not meant to be finished formulas

Step 3 – Prepare for your batch

Once you have your starting formula, you’ll want to determine how much you want to make and create a spreadsheet which lists out how much of each ingredient you need. Then you’ll need to list the specifications that you will test when the batch is finished. After that you’ll have to gather up all the raw materials and processing equipment needed to make the batch. Next, put on your safety glasses & start making your batch.

Step 4 – Making the batch

Making a cosmetic product is much like cooking. You weigh or measure out your ingredients, mix them together as dictated in the procedure and heat & cool as required. During the entire process you should be writing detailed notes and observations in your lab notebook. These will come in handy when you need to make refinements for future prototypes.

You almost never make a perfect batch on your first try

Step 5 – Test your batch

Once you’ve finished your formula, you’ll want to test it to see how successful you were. After letting the sample equilibrate to room temperature, take appropriate measurements like pH and viscosity to see if you are within specifications. Also, weigh the batch to see how much water weight you lost during the heating and cooling process. If you’ve lost more than a few % of water you may want to add water to make up the difference. In addition to specification tests, you should also do some performance tests to see how well the product functions. At the very least try the product on yourself. If the formula meets your satisfaction then you’ll want to do a stability test.

If you won’t use the product you made, why should anyone else?

Step 6 – Revise formula and Repeat

After you’ve tested the product and determined where it doesn’t quite measure up, you’ll need to make adjustments to see if it can be improved. I’ve found that knockout experiments are the most helpful way to figure out the effect that every ingredient has on the final formula. Once you know what the ingredients do, you’ll know which ones to increase or decrease to improve your formula.

After a dozen or so revisions, you should have a formula that meets your needs.

Cosmetic formulating is as much an art as it is a science. As you gain more experience, you’ll find ingredients that you like to work with and others that you avoid. You’ll develop your own style and ideally make products and formulas that are genuinely unique to you. I always liked to add a “signature” in my formulas by using some ingredient at a % that included the number 44. It didn’t usually have much affect on the formula but it did make me feel like the formula was my own creation. And it was.

Good luck in your formulating career!

We introduced the concept of viscosity in this post on fluid viscosity.  In this follow-up article, we explain some of the key considerations every formulation chemist should consider when setting a viscosity specification.

Viscosity measurements are commonly used on release specifications for raw materials and cosmetic formulations because these types measurements are quick and easy to take. It is important for cosmetic chemists to understand what viscosity and rheology measurements mean in terms of formulation performance and stability in order to develop robust specifications. It may seem like an intimidating task to cover all the variations that can arise, but vigilance and experience will make you feel far more confident. Here are a few guidelines to use when developing viscosity (and other) specs for your new formulations.

Individual Contributors:  When starting to develop viscosity specifications for a new formula first consider the rheological properties of your ingredients and what they are contributing to viscosity measurement. Thickeners can impart large increases in viscosity, but may lack sufficient yield value to stabilize emulsion droplets or suspend mica particles. Fatty alcohols can also build body over time due to their crystalline structure. So keep in mind, higher viscosity is not an indication of product stability. You have both chemical and physical instabilities at play.

Selecting a Target: Packaging and dispenser choice may impose parameters on viscosity and rheology. For example a depilatory should be easily squeezed from a tube but needs to remain on the consumer’s legs without sliding off for ten minutes.  Viscosity can also provide sensorial signals to the consumer; a more viscous product can seem luxurious and more moisturizing (although it might not actually be). Be sure to assess these factors when considering viscosity targets.

Spindle, Speed, Time: You should choose a spindle and speed appropriate for your product. You also need to specify the number of rotations or time at which the reading is taken. Consult with literature to make the proper determination. Viscometer manufacturer Brookfield has some great reference pamphlets which you can easily obtain. However, it is not uncommon for a company to prefer measurements for many products are made with the same spindle, speed and time combination. Also, be sure to use a consistent container size for measurements. A 600 ml beaker is recommended, but if using a smaller container you should be sure all subsequent measurements are taken in from the same size container in order to make correlations.

Account for Raw Material Variability: Test multiple lots of your thickening ingredients, especially at the high and low end of their specifications, and any other ingredients which might have significant impact on the final formula. Do your purchasing agent a favor and test multiple suppliers of the ingredients if possible. Testing multiple sources allows for flexibility in purchasing and allows you become acquainted with the level of sales support and technical expertise each supplier offers. Slight differences in cost can be overcome by superior quality and reliable technical support in times when you need it most.

Stability considerations: Viscosity can change over product lifetime, and those changes may not necessarily be bad. Monitoring viscosity over the full array of stability testing will allow you to determine what range of readings is acceptable.

Scale-Up: Consider processing conditions and take measurements on samples from various stages of scale-up. The difference between mixing conditions in a beaker at the lab bench and in massive production tanks can cause profound differences in formulation viscosity. Homogenization, pumping and filling product can also contribute to changes in product viscosity, so measure viscosity and compare differences at different points in the manufacturing process.

Viscosity measurements are a key part of creating almost any cosmetic product.  By considering all of these factors, you can make certain your compounders will make consistent, high quality products.

As a cosmetic chemist, you should always keep an eye on products and try to figure out what other people in the industry are doing. One of the best ways to do this is to review their product claims, then guess how they support what they’re saying. In this entry I’ll show you an exercise that will help improve your skills in this area.

Step 1 – Obtain the product claims

One of my favorite websites to go to for cosmetic products is Drugstore.com. They have a great selection but best of all, they have a listing of what is written on the bottle including ingredient lists. This is a huge benefit for a cosmetic chemist!

For this example, let’s look at Fructis Triple Nutrition Fortifying Shampoo. We could’ve picked any but Fructis has lots of claims.

Here is the text of their claims.

For Dry to Over-Dried or Damaged Hair

* 3 Nutritive Fruit Oils – Olive, Avocado & Shea
* Fortifies & infuses with nutrients for silky hair, full of life.

Is your hair dry, over-dried or damaged? Feel unhealthy to the touch? It needs nourishment without being weighed down.

Fructis Triple Nutrition The 3 nutritive fruit oils penetrate to nourish every strand to the core.

3 Fruit Oils For Triple Nutrition:

1. Olive Oil – Nourishes the inner core
2. Avocado Oil – Nourishes and softens the middle layer
3. Shea Oil – Nourishes and smoothes the surface.

Results: Triple nutrition for dry, over-dried or damaged hair. Hair is silky, radiant and full of life.

Create and control any style you want with Garnier Fructis Style.

Questions? 1-800-4Garnier (1-800-442-7643) or visit garnier.com.

INGREDIENTS: Water (Aqua), Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Coco Betaine, Glycerin, Sodium Chloride, Amodimethicone, Cocamide MIPA, Laureth 5 Carboxylic Acid, Polyquaternium 10, Pyrus Malus Extract (Apple Fruit), PPG 5 Ceteth 20, Parfum (Fragrance), Sodium Benzoate, PEG 55 Propylene Glycol Oleate, Propylene Glycol, PEG 60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Salicylic Acid, Niacinamide, Pyridoxine HCI, Olea Europaea Oil (Olive Fruit Oil), Citric Acid, Saccharum Officinarum Extract (Sugar Cane Extract), Benzyl Alcohol, Persea Gratissima Oil (Avocado Oil), Linalool, Methylcocoate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter (Shea Butter), Ribes Nigrum Oil (Black Currant Seed Oil), Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Sodium Cocoate, Sodium Hydroxide, Citrus Medica Limonum Peel Extract (Lemon Peel Extract), Camellia Sinensis Extract (Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract), CI 19140 (Yellow 5), CI 14700 (Red 4)

Step 2 – Filter out the claims

While anything written on the bottle is technically a claim, some of the statements require more support from a cosmetic chemist than others. Your next step is to read through the text and figure out which claims required testing.

Here is a listing.

1. 3 Nutritive Fruit Oils
2. Fortifies and infuses with nutrients for silky hair, full of life
3. …nutritive fruit oils penetrate to nourish every strand to the core
4. Olive oil nourishes the inner core
5. Avocado oil nourishes and softens the middle layer
6. Shea oil nourishes and smooths the surface
7. Hair is silky, radiant and full of life

Step 3 – Figure out how they support the claims

1. For the first claim, they indicate that the formula has 3 nutritive fruit oils. This can be verified by looking at the ingredient list. Indeed, they have Olive fruit oil, Avocado oil, and shea butter (oil). Claim verified.

2. The second claim is a mix of “puffery” (non-specific language that doesn’t have to be supported) and real claims. Since ‘fortifies’ isn’t really specifically defined, the company can support this claim with some reasonable explanation. (e.g. ‘by removing dirt the hair is fortified’). The phrase “full of life” is supported similarly. Hair is dead so saying it is full of life is puffery. The important part of the claim is “infuses with nutrients for silky hair”. To support this, the company has to include whatever they consider nutrients in the formula and also demonstrate that the feel of the hair is improved. This can be done with hair tresses, a test panel comparing treated vs untreated hair, and a crafty questionnaire which asks “which one feels more silky”?

3. The third claim is a bit more difficult to support. It says that the fruit oils penetrate. One way to show this is to treat the hair with fruit oils and look at the fibers under a microscope to show penetration. Or a more sophisticated way is to follow the procedure of Keis, et al. and check the inter fiber adhesion forces and the reflectance of light. In their study, olive oil was shown to penetrate so some version of this is probably what they did.

4 & 5. Claims 4 and 5 can be supported in the same way as claim 3. You could simply make the argument that if the oil got to the core of the hair, it must have passed through the middle layer. Oils are known to soften hair so this argument should be persuasive. The word “nourish” is more puffery.

6. The claim about shea oil can be easily supported by treating hair with shea oil and running any number of comparative tests like a diastron combing study. Smoother hair is easier to comb.

7. This is mostly a puffery claim but you could use panel data comparing treated and untreated hair to support the statements.

Try it out

The claims for this product were relatively easy to support. Since they were mostly puffery claims, panel testing comparing treated and untreated hair will satisfy most requirements. The penetration claims were a bit more complicated to support but a quick look through the JSCC showed a method. If you can’t find a method here, you can also look through US patents as testing methods are sometimes written up there too.

So, now it’s your turn. Go to Drugstore.com, find a product in the area that you are formulating (or better yet one in which you do not formulate) and try it out.

You will learn a lot about formulating and testing cosmetic products.